• Fuel smuggling thrives in Adamawa, Sokoto
• Task force brutalises Idiroko residents

Residents of border communities in Ogun, Lagos, Adamawa, Katsina and Sokoto states  are groaning following the Federal Government’s suspension of fuel supply to areas  within 20 kilometres to  the nation’s borders.

On Thursday, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali, had directed that no petroleum products should be supplied to  any filling station within 20 kilometres to the borders.

Investigations by our correspondents   in Ogun, Lagos, Adamawa, Katsina, and Sokoto states showed that the government’s order had triggered fuel scarcity and hike in the prices of petroleum products.

For instance, investigations by one of our correspondents  showed the Federal Government’s order had led to fuel scarcity in communities such as Ihunbo, Ilase, Ajegunle, Idiroko and Agosasa in  the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Also, at the  Seme border in Lagos  on Monday, there were  fuel queues as only two filling stations were selling fuel.

Many filling stations shut in Ogun

The PUNCH learnt that  so many filling stations  within  20 kilometres  to the border in Ipokia, close to Benin Republic had been shut by the Federal Government’s task force on border closure.

One of the residents of Ipokia, Elijah  Akinola, in an interview with The PUNCH,  accused the security agencies in the area  of sabotaging the economy of the country.

He asked,  “Can you imagine buying a litre of fuel at the rate of N600? Before we can get fuel for N145 in Ipokia, we will need to go to Owode, which is 28 kilometres  away. We don’t know what we can do to survive.

“Before the Federal Government’s order, they (security agents) used to take bribes from marketers  before allowing them to export fuel to Benin Republic. Now that the Federal Government has stopped supply of fuel  supply to border communities, we are the ones suffering.   Artisans, even medical personnel, are the ones suffering.